CC Deserves the Hardware
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008CC Sabathia screamed from the Miller Park mound Sunday as the final out was recorded. It was the exclamation point on a historic stretch of pitching that carried a postseason-starved team to the playoffs.
Now, days later as baseball pundits debate who deserves the Cy Young Award in the National League, I cringe as the talking heads continuously brush CC away as a non-contender because he only spent a little more than 12 weeks in the NL with the Brewers.
First off, where is the definition of Cy Young that says all of a pitcher’s stats must be accumulated in one league to be considered for either league’s award? The best explanations of the award that I can find say it goes to the “best” or “most valuable” pitcher in each league. That’s a very subjective definition, but who could possibly debate that CC was not the “best” or “most valuable” pitcher in National League this season?
Take a look at what he did as a Brewer:
Admittedly, it may not be fair to compare only that half season of work against other pitchers’ entire seasons. Brandon Webb was 9-0 in his first nine starts, after all. But even when comparing CC’s whole season against the rest of the pitchers in the NL, he was the most dominant.
C. Sabathia, MIL - 17 wins, 25 QS, 251 K, 2.7 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 10 CG, 253 INN
J. Santana, NYM - 16 wins, 28 QS, 206 K, 2.53 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 3 QS, 234.3 INN
T. Lincecum, SF - 18 wins, 26 QS, 265 K, 2.62 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 2 CG, 227 INN
B. Webb, ARI - 22 wins, 24 QS, 183 K, 3.3 ERA, 1.2 WHIP, 3 CG, 226.7 INN
R. Dempster, CHI - 17 wins, 21 QS, 187 K, 2.96 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 1 CG, 206.7 INN
CC was first in all of baseball in complete games, innings pitched and games started. If you consider his entire season’s stats, he finished second in the NL in strikeouts and third in quality starts. And he had the fourth lowest ERA and third lowest WHIP of starting pitchers in the Senior Circuit.
Perhaps most importantly, most of the other Cy Young candidates are sitting at home right now, watching the playoffs. In the past, “pitching for a winner” has been a major qualification for Cy Young winners. Brewers fans know this well as Ben Sheets was robbed of a Cy Young in 2003 despite racking up 264 strikeouts and a 2.7 ERA in 237 dominate innings. This year, Brandon Webb folded down the stretch to the tune of a 5.7 ERA in his last seven starts as the D-Backs fell short of the postseason. Johan Santana pitched excellent, but watched his team crumble around him. And Tim Lincecum pitched well for a horrible team that had no chance of playing in October even as April began. The only NL playoff pitcher receiving Cy Young consideration is Dempster, who somehow became the Cubs’ ace this season. Despite Dempster’s brilliant year, Sabathia has better stats in nearly every category, some significantly better.
Furthermore, there is precedent for awarding the Cy Young to a pitcher who switched leagues in the middle of the season. Rick Sutcliffe won the award as a Cub in 1984 after being traded from the Indians. Sabathia pitched less than 20 fewer innings in the NL than Sutcliffe and his numbers were even more dominant.
R. Sutcliffe, CHIC, 1984 - 20 starts, 16-1, 15 QS, 155 K, 2.69 ERA, 1.078 WHIP, 7 CG, 150.1 INN
C. Sabathia, MIL, 2008 - 17 starts, 11-2, 17 QS, 128 K, 1.65 ERA, 1.003 WHIP, 7 CG, 130.7 INN
No matter how you quantify his season, Sabathia was the best pitcher in the NL this year. Hell, he was the best pitcher in baseball. Giving the Cy Young to anyone else would be a travesty and would depreciate one of baseball’s most dominate stretches of pitching ever.
Luckily for CC and Brewers fans, he’s more worried about earning some team hardware right now than a personal award. The selfless ace will go on short rest for a fourth straight time Thursday in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Phillies, further cementing his place in Brewer lore.
Thanks, CC.